WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
WWW.NEIUINDEPENDENT.ORG
UPass Renewal On Main Campus Only El Centro and Carruthers, Take a Hike!
Student-run newspaper since 1962 Volume 43 Issue 2
By: Leslie Lozada, Campus Life Editor Illustrations by Jesus Robles
Students having to find other ways of resolving their Upass situation. At the start of the Spring semester of 2023, some full-time students were unable to receive their Ventra U-Pass within the first week of the semester. Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is one of several participating universities involved in the Upass program to provide college students in the Chicagoland area with access to Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) services, such as the “L” train, and buses. On the NEIU website, full-time students receive a Upass on a Ventra Card that is given to them by the university for the spring, summer and fall semesters. There are ways to waive the $155 pass fee, but there are specific requirements to do so. “I couldn’t tell until I was scanning on the bus and it wasn’t allowing me to come on.” - Clay Cofre
The Independent reached out to the email provided by NEIU for the Upass program, with no response. Two students who spoke with the Independent also stated that they have not received a response through email. One such student, Clay Cofre, the Editor in Chief of Seeds, NEIU’s student literature journal, tried calling the phone number pro-
vided by NEIU, to no avail. During winter break, Cofre and some of their other staff members came to the main campus on a regular basis to manage Seeds and to hand make the journal’s issues. They used their Ventra pass for that, as well as work before the semester started. In the first week of classes, they noticed that the pass was not active on their card. “And I thought that maybe it was
just like a glitch in the system, because we had not been provided with any information that it had to be physically turned on.” Cofre said, “After about a few days of basically wasting my own money… I looked online at the Northeastern website, and tried to call the people in charge of the Upass activation. That phone number no longer exists, so I don’t know why it’s still on the website.” Cofre finally received their Upass activation four weeks into the semester. They did not receive any information about reactivation until three weeks into the semester. “The only reason I was able to reactivate it, is because I spoke to someone else who had a similar issue, and they gave me the information that I had to check into the Help [Welcome] desk, to have to reactivate it. And now it’s working, but it’s just frustrating that the university didn’t provide any information regarding that reactivation process.” They and other students had to go to the Welcome Desk on the main campus for workers there to manually reset the card, as confirmed by the current Executive
Director of the Student Union and Campus Recreation, Andy Dutil. “The Welcome Desk would be the only location currently.” - Andy Dutil Students who primarily attend El Centro, which is by Avondale and Logan Square neighborhoods and the Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies in Bronzeville, would have to travel to the main campus in order to have their cards reset. Continues on Page 2
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023 Continued from front page:
Staff: Editor-in-Chief Monty Stites
Managing Editor
UPass Renewal On Main Campus Only El Centro and Carruthers, Take a Hike!
Savannah Owens
Production Editor Savannah Owens
Section Editors Monty Stites Leslie Lozada Dan Maurer
Production Team Jesus Robles
Writers Scott Andrews Bella Cardoza Luz Analitis
Copy Editors Jasmine Rodriguez Nora Reece-Orr
Mission Statement: The Independent’s mission is to gather and report on important and relevant information to the university and its surrounding communities, as well as to be a creative and critical outlet for community members to express their views and concerns and to offer examples of potential solutions to ongoing problems. Contact EIC for any questions or if you have a letter to the editor: independent-eic@neiu.edu Contact Production Manager for any questions or interest in visual design: pindpnews@neiu.edu
The Independent reached out to the Student Union about the ongoing situation. Dutil said, “We have had some technical issues with the student roster upload to the CTA UPass portal. Students who are currently enrolled fulltime may not be showing up as registered. Due to several vacancies across the university, some process knowledge was lost in transitions and the error was not discovered until students reported issues.” Dutil also mentioned, “If students are experiencing issues with their UPass, we encourage them to come to the Welcome Desk during business hours where a staff member can reset the card manually. The Welcome Desk also offers complimentary seven-day CTA passes to any full-time student who may be experiencing UPass issues to be used until their card is reactivated.” One student who heard this information, Jasmine Rodriguez, tried to get the complimentary 7-day pass a week after the semester started. Rodriguez, a senior copy editor for the Independent, emailed the Upass email about her pass not being activated the same day that classes started for the spring semester. The day after, Rodriguez went to the Welcome Desk, to see why it was not working. “At first they told me it was a system error, and so they would have seven-day passes.” She came back to the Welcome Desk the second week of the semester, when she was informed that there were no seven-day passes. She came back a third time to the Welcome Desk, and needed to pull up her class schedule on her phone
to verify that she was a full-time student, for staff at the Welcome Desk to manually reset the card. “This was the first time that it ever occurred to me, having this problem whatsoever.” Rodriguez started going to NEIU in the fall of 2021. She had her pass activated three weeks into the semester. “The NEIU UTS (University Technology Services) and SUECS (Student Union, Event and Conference Services) teams are currently working with CTA to resolve this issue and hope to have things worked out soon.” Dutil said. It is currently unknown how many full-time students are affected by this. The university has made no official statement, either through targeted announcement emails or other channels, since the start of the spring semester.
CTA U-Pass Fare Information
Seeds Instagram webpage
NEIU U-Pass Information
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
These incidents occured on NEIU campus property between the dates of 01/31/2023 and 02/15/2023. 01/31/23 - OFF-CAMPUS COUNSELING SERVICES REPORTS A POSSIBLE SUICIDAL STUDENT OFF CAMPUS WHO BECAME AGITATED & ELUSIVE WHEN QUESTIONED. CHICAGO PD CONTACTED. SENT TO CONDUCT WELL BEING CHECK AT HOME. THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT 02/03/23 - D-BUILDING OFFICERS RESPONDED TO REPORT OF HOMELESS WOMAN SITTING IN A HALLWAY. FOOD & LOCAL SHELTER INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY OFFICERS. 02/03/23 - E-BUILDING DAMAGE TO PRESIDENT’S PORTRAIT IN HALLWAY REPORTED. WHITE PAINT SMEARED ON GLASS. OFFENDER UNKNOWN
PROPERTY FACILITIES MANAGEMENT CONTACTED FOR CLEAN UP 02/07/23 - EL CENTRO SECURITY GUARD REPORTS LARGE AREA OF BRICK WALL ON VACANT PROPERTY DEFACED WITH BLACK PAINT, OFFENDER UNKNOWN. FACILITIES NOTIFIED FOR CLEAN UP. 02/07/23 - THE NEST VERBAL ALTERCATION BETWEEN ROOM MATES TURNED PHYSICAL. POLICE RESPONDED AND A NAME CHECK OF ONE SUBJECT RESULTED IN ACTIVE WARRANT. SUBJECT PLACED UDER ARREST & TRANSPORTED TO CPD FOR PROCESSING. 02/08/23 - THE NEST STUDENT & RESIDENT REPORTS HARRASSING & THREATENINGS MESSAGES RECEIVED OVER PHONE FROM EX. COMMUNICATION UNIVERSI-
TY TITLE IX OFFICE NTFD & ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO ACQUIRE AN EMERGENCY ORDER OF PROTECTION
DELIVERY RACK. OFFENDER IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME
02/08/23 - D-BUILDING
OFFICERS RESPONDED TO A CALL AT THE NEST REGARDING INAPPROPRITE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE TO A STUDENT BY A SECURITY GUARD.
COFFEE SHOP STAFF REPORTS UNKNOWN FEMALE MAKING COSTUMERS UNCOMFORTABLE BY ASKING THEM TO BUY THINGS FOR HER & POSSIBLY STEALING TIPS FROM JAR. SUBJECT IS KNOWN TO NEIU. 02/09/23 - THE NEST RESIDENT REPORTS DAMAGE TO SPEAKERS MOVED FROM HER ROOM. WAS TOLD INCIDENT WILL BE DOCUMENTED & IF SHE WISHES TO PROCEED FURTHER IT BECOMES A CIVIL MATTER . 02/13/23 - THE NEST NEST RESIDENTS REPORT AN ITEM STOLEN OFF THEIR GROCERY DELIVERY AFTER THEY WERE PLACED IN COMMON
02/14/23 - THE NEST
02/15/23 - THE NEST OFFICERS RESPONDED TO CALL OF HEATED ARGUMENT TAKING PLACE IN A RESIDENCE AT THE NEST. OCCUPANTS WERE HAVING LOUD DISAGREEMENT ABOUT POLITICS. PEACE RESTORED. *** The NEIU police blotter is requested from our campus police for every issue of NEIU Independent because this publication exercises its right to do so, courtesy of the Clery Act. The Clery Act is a federal statute requiring all higher education establishments that participate in federal financial
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aid programs to maintain records of campus crime and campus security information. Any case that is considered ongoing may not be listed in the blotter. For this reason, there may be updated reports published retroactively once those cases are closed. For more information about the Clery Act, visit the NEIU police department’s webpage.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
Vice President of Enrollment Management Kimberley Buster-Williams to Resign
The State of The Nest By: Scott Andrews, Writer
By: Dan Maurer, Opinions Editor
Editors Note: This article was originally published exclusively online. In the original article it stated with certainty that Buster-Williams had hired someone who allegedly already held two full time jobs in Michigan. It has been updated to reflect the alleged nature of that claim. Buster-Williams responded with a comment stating that when Fuselier-Thompson was hired she secured housing at the Northeastern Illinois Student Dorms in Chicago, The Nest. On Feb. 8, 2023, President Gloria J. Gibson revealed in a Targeted Announcement email that Kimberley Buster-Williams was resigning from her post as the Vice President of Enrollment Management at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU). Buster-Williams joined NEIU on Jan. 3, 2022. Her resignation will go into effect on Feb. 20, 2023. In her email, President Gibson thanked Buster Williams for her service, saying she had, “shown hard work and professionalism in modernizing NEIU’s enrollment processes.” As previously reported by the Independent, Buster-Williams had hired someone who was allegedly already working two fulltime jobs at another university in Michigan as her Interim Associate Vice President of Student Success and Retention. President Gibson said she will, “provide more information over the next few weeks, as a plan is developed for the continued management and leadership of the NEIU enrollment process.”
Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) students that call The Nest their home must adhere to new rules and regulations put in place by the university administration because of an unsanctioned New Year’s Eve party where a guest allegedly pulled out a gun. A security guard is now on staff at the front desk at all times and regularly patrols the student residence facility. Students who have an overnight guest are required to fill out an Overnight Guest Request form in the resident portal by 4:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Guests are only allowed for no more than two consecutive nights on the weekend, and only with the permission of the resident’s roommates. Each resident can only request up to six total nights per semester for their guest visits. All overnight guests must be over the age of 18. All guests must present a government-issued photo ID, and sign in with their resident host at the front desk. This policy has yet to be followed by some residents. Not all residents check their guests in, and staff has been observed to be lenient with this policy. The university has proposed installing a metal detector to prevent weapons from being brought into The Nest. As of this publication, a metal detector has not been installed, nor have any additional details been released about the metal detector installation. Residents are reminded to only enter or exit through the front lobby. All other doors are for emergency use only, and students could be fined or face disciplinary action for misusing an emergency exit.
Students can download new Nest policies and procedures. Besides security issues at The Nest, several residents have complained about the lack of maintenance in their apartments. Issues with maintenance have been an ongoing issue. According to some residents, it takes a long time for repairs once a work order is submitted. These residents wish repairs could be made in a more timely manner, and that the Nest administrators would be more attentive to their needs. A resident explained they are having trouble with their dishwasher. It only closes and functions with a chair pushed against the front of the appliance and has been broken since the January move-in day. In late January of 2023, the left elevator was out of service for approximately three days and has since been repaired. Nest administrators posted a sign to remind students to place their garbage in the appropriately designated area, or the entire floor would be fined. Students are reminded to wash their hands frequently as David Worell, Nurse Practitioner, from NEIU’s Student Health Services told the Independent that Norovirus is spreading in The Nest and the university at the time of this writing. Stay tuned for further updates about the State of The Nest.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
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Enrollment Services Updates Student Government By: Dan Maurer, Opinions Editor
The Student Government Association (SGA) met on Feb. 7, 2023. Top of the agenda was a report from Northeastern Illinois University’s (NEIU) Enrollment Services. Ryan Trout, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, gave the initial report, on behalf of the Vice President for Enrollment Management, Kimberley Buster-Williams. Trout touted the accomplishments of his department, saying “By all measurements right now our freshmen applications are… over double of where we’re at, at this point last year.” He said he was very excited about their progress, but that he would not “count his chickens before they hatched.” Timothy Sheahan, the Interim Director of Graduate Admissions, said his numbers are down, but “We get many applications June, July into August,” adding, “Spring we had exceeded our enrollment ahead of what we have done in prior years, which is a good sign.” The Interim University Registrar, Rashida Walker, reported that a new degree audit program, Degree Works, is being built and should be live for Spring 2024 registration. The new system will be “considerably more interactive,” than the current system, and will allow students to see “what requirements have been fulfilled, what are in progress and, what remains to be completed,” for their current degree programs. Edwin Medina, the President of SGA, made comments with regard to the quality of advising. “[Academic Advising] does not have proper staff trained to advise students, there are a lot of students that are not happy with it.” He add-
ed, “It is time to start implementing student voices in the evaluations and see how staff is performing.” Jamie Ris, the Director of Academic Advising, spoke to the decentralized nature of advising at NEIU, saying, “My office has six advisors. And at the undergraduate level, there are about 130 people who do undergraduate advising. So, while I cannot supervise everyone, I can definitely enforce and definitely provide that feedback to others.” Asked about responsiveness from staff and faculty, Medina echoed sentiments from students
at the Faculty Senate meeting on Jan. 31, 2023, saying that it is “horrible,” He added, “It is something that is ingrained in the school, and we need to actually do something about it and change it.” The SGA also swore in two new members. Dharmik Chhatbar stepped up from his previous position as Vice Chair of the Council of Clubs, becoming the Council’s Chair, as well as being sworn in as the Treasurer of the SGA. Mikulus Koudelka, a science major in his first year at NEIU, has been sworn in as a senator on the SGA.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
Faculty Say Dr. Wamucii Njogu Is Fundamentally More Qualified To Lead NEIU Out of Multiple Crises By: Scott Andrews, Writer
On Jan. 26, 2023, over 170 faculty, staff, and students sent a letter to Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Board of Trustees asking that Dr. Wamucii Njogu be instated as the Interim President of Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU). Dr. Njogu is no stranger to NEIU, the fiscal, and enrollment crises the current administration cannot solve adequately. She has worked at NEIU since 2006 in various administrative and leadership roles, and since 1996 as a professor in Sociology, making her the perfect candidate according to the faculty who authored the letter. She received her B.A. from the University of Nairobi in 1979, an M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1984, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1989. Dr. Njogu has been an NEIU faculty member since 1996 in the Sociology department. She held the positions of department coordinator and chair from 20012003 and 2006-2007, respectively. In an administrative capacity, Dr. Njogu was Assistant/Associate Provost from 2006-2009 and Dean of the College of Art and Sciences from 2009-2017. Experience in executive leadership includes Acting Provost from 20172018, and in 2018, the Board of Trustees nominated Dr. Njogu as Interim President from April 1, 2018 to May 31, 2018, until Dr. Gloria J. Gibson began her tenure. As Dean, she built innovations in academic degree
programs, including the Social Work’s Masters degree, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, and EMERGE, a Summer enrichment program for English and Mathematics. Dr. Njogu has experience in grant writing, having written a Department of Education Title III grant to support Environmental Sciences and a multiyear Illinois Board of Higher Education grant to fund programs for student success. She maintains close relationships with Chicago and the international community as a board member, past vice president, and president of the human rights organization Pan-African Association. Dr. Njogu’s attitude toward a fiscal crisis is noted. She said back in 2017, when she was the acting Provost, “The budget has not removed instruction in any way. The teaching part of the university remained intact. I think the budget is going to allow us to breathe easier. I think the university would have been in a very difficult position if we didn’t have the budget. And actually, the budget will allow us to plan for the future.” In March 2012, at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), the faculty passed a motion of “no confidence” against President Benjamin Allen and Provost Gloria Gibson. A letter was circulated and signed by 30 faculty members alleging budget cuts and a restructuring plan being carried out “without faulty in-
put.” In April 2014, Provost Gibson resigned from UNI. Several faculty members voiced their concerns of mismanagement and lack of communication with the university executive cabinet regarding the proposed budget cuts and restructuring plan at the Town Hall protest on January 24, 2023.
NEIU faculty, staff and students believe Dr. Njogu is more in touch with the university, has a better track record with NEIU affairs, and the local community as a whole and is better equipped to lead us out of fiscal and enrollment crises.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
Student Affairs Council is Back! Faculty Senate Looks Inward By: Dan Maurer, Opinions Editor
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Small Fire Cancels Classes at Fine Arts Building Inconveniencing Students By: Scott Andrews, Writer
After having been dormant for quite some time, the Vice President and Dean of Students for Student Affairs, Dr. Terry C. Mena, has reconstituted the Faculty Council for Student Affairs (FCSA). This council includes Adam Goldstein, who sits on the Faculty Senate, Dr. Elyse Bolterstein, and student representative Edwin Medina, who is the President of the Student Government Association. The FCSA advises Dr. Mena in his role as Vice President of Student Affairs. According to Goldstein, Dr. Mena “is looking for policy recommendations in relation to how we communicate with students on campus and process student issues pursuant to resident life and to the shared governance of students.” As Dr. Nancy Wrinkle, the chair of the Faculty Senate said, that includes The Nest, which is NEIU’s dormitory on the main campus. The Nest is of concern to many faculty senators. Dr. Olivia Perlow said she is fielding complaints regarding dorms from students, saying, “I’m hearing students having issues with The Nest to this day, constantly. It’s not a one-off.” Dr. Wrinkle expressed interest in The Nest’s financial aspects, occupancy rates, and “what is going to take for us to start at least breaking even on that project.” Dr. Tim Duggan said, referring to the FCSA and the Faculty Council for Institutional Advancement, “This is really an area where we need to focus our attention using the councils to hold the vice president areas accountable.”
He said he had heard from a student who had recently moved out of The Nest and quoted her as saying, “She was done.” He reflected on the contract with American Campus Communities Inc. as he said, “We must have had the worst attorneys on the planet when they originally made this deal with the management company.” The Independent previously reported on The Nest, and also published testimony from an international student who had been living there. The Faculty Senate also directed its attention inward for its meeting on Feb. 14, 2023. Top of the agenda was a discussion about limits on public comment. Dr. Wrinkle noted that public comment periods had gotten long, and that the senate tended to run out of time to listen to guest speakers. No decision was made on rule changes for public comment during this meeting. Another topic discussed included allowing remote attendance and voting for Senate members, as needed. In addition, the Faculty Senate will be discussing the ways in which it carries out voting integrity, and its policy on secret voting and mechanisms to ensure that Faculty Senate resolutions are “binding and enforceable.” On the topic of integrity, Dr. Aneta Galary said, “I believe that senators who, for whatever reason, feel intimidated or afraid to speak should reconsider whether they want to be on the Senate or not,” adding, “I think we are doing a disservice to our constituents if we are afraid to speak or to vote.”
This topic will be discussed further at the next meeting on Feb. 28, 2023. Dr. Wrinkle, in her Chair’s Report, noted the resignation of Kimberley Buster-Williams, the Vice President for Enrollment Management. She also noted that Associate Director for Transfer Enrollment, Patricia Rodriguez, had also resigned. She added, “I’m hoping that we’ll hear from the President today about a plan for immediately stabilizing Enrollment Services in the wake of these resignations.” President Gloria J. Gibson also attended the Faculty Senate. In her report to the Faculty Senate, she shared that NEIU’s overall student retention rate, from fall of 2022 to spring of this year, was 80.7%. She also quoted enrollment numbers, saying that, as of Feb. 13, 2023: 287 first-time, full-time students, and 64 transfer students intended to enroll, adding that it was still early in the year. President Gibson said she had asked Buster-Williams to give her a transition plan with recommendations for the next steps, but that she had “no specific information today.” The Faculty Senate confirmed Dr. Linda S. Nidelkoff to the senate, representing the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education, non-tenure track. The Senate also confirmed Dr. Brooke Johnson as the Faculty Senate’s representative to the Faculty Advisory Council of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
At approximately 11:56 am on Feb. 20, 2023 the Chicago Fire Department responded to and extinguished a fire in the Fine Arts Building. University administrators on advice from the Chicago Fire Department closed the Fine Arts building for the rest of the day and are conducting a damage assessment. The wellbeing of students, faculty, and visitors to the Fine Arts building is a priority according to a statement by President Gloria J. Gibson, “No injuries were reported, and everyone was evacuated safely.” Music Student Gabriela Kupryjanczuk reports being in a private lesson with her professor when the fire alarms went off. Kupryjanczuk evacuated to the parking lot where students and faculty remained while the situa-
tion was assessed. Students were not allowed back into the building according to Kupryjanczuk. According to Professor Nate Mathews, Art + Design Department Acting Chairperson, “Other than the table saw, I don’t believe anything was damaged by heat/ fire. I am told there was some smoke in the building but not major.” The Chicago Fire Department hosed down the Sculpture Studio and sprayed water into the dust collection tubes to ensure the fire was totally extinguished. It is possible the sensitive electronic equipment may have been water damaged in the room as stated by Mathews. The building has since been reopened and classes will continue to be held as scheduled.
Photo Credit: Gabriela Kupryjanczuk
OPINION
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
Students and Faculty Need More Than a Voice By: Dan Maurer, Opinions Editor
Since coming to Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) in the all of 2022, I have been privileged, or cursed, with covering the downward spiral of NEIU, and the faculty’s attempts to save the university from successive waves of incompetence across multiple administrations and makeups of the Board of Trustees. Just in the last few months, the tensions have bubbled over. Both President Gloria J. Gibson and the Board of Trustees suffered votes of no-confidence in their leadership from the Faculty Assembly. On Jan. 24, 2023, faculty and students protested and interrupted a budget town hall meeting hosted by the administration, demanding accountability for a proposed reorganization that President Gibson will not be around to see the results of. The Board of Trustees has already announced they will not renew her contract when it expires at the end of June. One does not have to look hard to find ample evidence that the administration and the Board of Trustees have not been able to solve the crisis here at NEIU. However, baked into this university is a deep well of knowledge, ideas and expertise. NEIU has many professors and instructors eager to bend their minds to the task of improving our university. NEIU is known for training the teachers of the future through the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education (GCOE), with faculty and staff who are “dedicated to excellence and innovation in education and professional program preparation,” according to its mission statement. The College of Business and Technology (CBT), on its website, says its faculty “are qualified, either by holding a Ph.D. in their field or as a recognized business practitioner.” Between the two colleges, these are people who have studied and practiced the skills needed to run an organization, such as
our own university, and have done so to the point that we trust them to teach the next generation. Who better to assist with administering our own university? And what better advertisement for our university than to be able to say we trust our teachers to the point that they have an active role in the administration of the university, practicing what they are teaching. NEIU is also known for its commitment to social justice and to serving disadvantaged groups. The positioning of El Centro near Logan Square, and the Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies (CCICS) in Bronzeville are physical manifestations of that commitment. Exemplifying those ideals within the administration of the university should include more than just advisory input from faculty and students. Our faculty are both at the forefront of NEIU’s mission, and the last line of defense for it. Without our teachers and their expertise, there would be no university, and the same goes for our students. Thus, these two groups deserve a substantive seat at the governing table and active roles in administration. At a time when NEIU has suffered through the incompetence of multiple administrations, and Board of Trustee members have blatantly questioned the commitment and competence of the student body, only the faculty have stood firm in supporting us as students. Granting faculty and students a role in governance yields multiple advantages. Currently, faculty and students only serve an advisory role at the university. The only power either group has is the power of the megaphone, calling out to the world through confidence votes and interviews with media outlets, like WGN-TV, both of which are absolutely necessary, but also may serve to scare away the very students we are struggling to enroll. While it would not help immediately, giving faculty
and students access to the levers of power would allow those key groups to help solve future crises in-house, rather than getting the media involved. Students from both GCOE and CBT could easily be integrated into the administration process as well, as part of their education, giving them valuable practical experience, while also demonstrating the confidence we have in the skills of faculty and students as we invite them to administer the university. This involvement should not just be limited to students from those colleges. The entire university should have the opportunity to be involved in its operation. Ours is a school known for, and taking pride in, a mission of social justice and community involvement. Whether it’s in the inclusive running or grassroots upwelling of protest, social justice will find its expression here. Faculty and students are exercising what power they have at the school. It is up to the Board of Trustees and the administration, whether that energy and momentum are harnessed in favor of the university, or it will be fought down, and the values of progressive education will be shown to be only lip service. Will NEIU live by its own values and mission? Or will this school be just another educational institution that crumbles on the broken promises made to the very people it is meant to serve?
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
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OPINION
The Tragic Normalization of School Shootings By: Leslie Lozada, Campus Life Editor
School shootings are the new normal it seems: They have become common enough that you can find someone that has been a victim in a shooting. On Feb. 13, 2023, there was a shooting that took place at Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, Michigan. At the time of this article, there were three dead as well as five in critical condition. One person who was around the area during the shooting was one of the students that was previously at the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012. There were students from MSU that witnessed the Oxford High School shooting in Michigan in 2021. Even at NEIU, there was an instance where there was a gun brought into the Nest as reported by Scott Andrews, during a New Year’s party at the dorms. There was an earlier case at the start of the Fall 2022 semester where an NEIU library staff member was involved in a murder-suicide. While we have not had any mass shootings, I would like to reflect on that. From the stereotypes we see of Chicago, it is often depicted as a dangerous place to live, especially on the South Side. There are also several gang-level crimes that are prevalent throughout the city. While it is hard to think about the possibility of having a school shooting on our campuses, or even a shooting in general, in Chicago, 692 people were murdered in 2022. That is just the number reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, in an ongoing list of homicides throughout the different neighborhoods in Chicago. In 2022, 303 school shootings were reported that involved kindergarten through twelfth grade. In the K-12 School Shooting Database which was created by David Riedman in 2022, the highest death count that year was at Robb Elementary
School in Uvalde, Texas, with 22 deaths. As a university with three distinct locations in the city, two on the North Side, and one on the South Side, there are different nuances to consider when it comes to who would be affected when it comes to a school shooting. There are different age groups which range from young adults to those close to a century old. NEIU offers ways to protect yourself in a school shooting. The school has a video of what to do during a school shooting, titled ”Run, Hide, Fight”. Most of the footage presented in the video was from Indiana University. There is also the Campus Shield app, or N-Safe, that can
be downloaded on your phone in order to alert campus police through anonymous tips, get a safety escort, and call the emergency number if needed, among other features. If it ever does happen, do what you can to stay safe.
Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash
campus LIFE
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
Muslim Student Association’s Earthquake Relief Bake Sale By: Leslie Lozada, Campus Life Editor
On Feb. 6, 2023, a pair of earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria, resulting in over 40,000 deaths as of this writing. There have been several thousand more injured, and several thousand buildings destroyed. In the aftermath, there have been efforts made to help those affected by the earthquake. Islamic Relief USA, a non-profit organization, has helped Türkiye in the past and is currently raising money to help the victims of the earthquakes. The Muslim Student Association (MSA) at NEIU held a bake sale on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023 in Village Square. It was held from 12:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. with 100% of the proceeds made from the sale dedicated to Islamic Relief USA, as stated on their Instagram page the day of the bake sale. Some items at the sale were Turkish Delights, cupcakes, samosas, and other sweet and savory treats. Syed Jaleel, President of MSA, was present for the sale’s entirety. The club set the prices as pay-what-you-can, with different ways of payment including Zelle, Venmo, and cash. For those interested in signing up for MSA, information about the association can be found on Instagram at @neiumsa, as well as on their Collegiate Link page.
Photo taken by Jasmine Rodriguez
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
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arts & life
The Last of Us Review By: Bella Cardoza, Writer
This just in, HBO has released their newest show: The Last of Us! While I have never played the game but only watched cutscenes on YouTube, I came in with high hopes and let’s just say I was impressed with the TV show. While I could not take my eyes off of Pedro Pascal’s acting as Joel Miller in the first and second episode, I was mainly impressed with Bella Ramsey as Ellie because we can see how her character has changed so far over the course of the show. It’s like she went from a wreckless 14-year-old who wants nothing to do with Joel, to becoming a vulnerable yet determined kid who lives in a post apocalyptic world and just wants to survive no matter what. But she later realizes that she can not do it alone because she needs Joel to survive. I also love how convincing Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal’s American accents were. They were so good, I was convinced that they were from Texas and Boston. In all honesty, I thought that the whole cinematography for episode 1 and 2 was amazing because I felt a lot of dread when the setting changed from being bright and sunny in the beginning, to being dark and gloomy later in the series. I also loved how the set designers made the entire sets look messed up and vandalized so we can see the destruction that the virus has caused to Joel, Ellie and the gang because we are supposed to feel the sense of dread and gloom with them. The costumes are also amazing because it looks like they also took notes from the video game and were very determined to make sure that the costumes were accurate to all of the characters. I felt my blood run cold in episode 1 when the pandemic began and everything started running amok. For episode 3, I enjoyed the memorial at the beginning which was dedicated to the late Annie Wersching who we sadly lost
in late January of this year. She voiced the character Tess in the original video game. I won’t go into a lot of details for episode 3 but this was the perfect episode that was dedicated to her memory and I’m pretty sure that she would have loved it. Episode 3 is also going to pull at your heartstrings more because they have decided to add in the Linda Ronstandt’s song “Long, Long, Time” which makes it very emotional for the viewers watching at home, especially with how the song fits into the bittersweet episode with Bill and Frank because Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett put on amazing performances as their characters in that episode. In episode 4, of The Last of Us, I am once again impressed with Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal’s performances as Joel and Ellie because while it does show them butting heads at certain times, they start to become more caring, playful, and affectionate towards each other. When Joel and Ellie come face to face with another freedom fighter group, they know when to step into action, protect and look out for one another which is what I find to be very heartwarming. I also feel like I’m there in the cold post-apocalyptic setting because it gives off a cold-windy vibe. As I’m saving the best for last, episode 5 seems to be the best out of the following episodes so far because they finally introduced a disabled character. The disabled character that they introduced in episode 5 is named Sam who’s played by real life deaf child star Keivonn Woodard. While Sam is not deaf in the games, I thought it was a good start to have disabled characters to be the heroes in horror fiction and not have them play the disabled villain trope just like we see in every horror movie. I hope you all enjoyed reading my review of HBO’s The Last of Us! Illustration by Jesus Robles
arts & life
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
Learning of Our Past to Understand Our Present By: Luz Analitis Writer
A Book Review of “Northeastern Illinois University: The First 150 Years”
NEIU is currently facing serious hardships and working through a time of worrisome uncertainty, but what has led us to this point? Where did it all begin? To fully understand and appreciate our present, we must look into our past. The nonfiction book “Northeastern Illinois University: The First 150 Years”, by historian and alumnus Richard C. Lindberg, takes the reader through the long journey of NEIU’s development and history. Lindberg begins by describing the ideologies and innovators that laid the foundations for the American public school system. NEIU’s journey began with the humble beginnings of the Cook County Normal School in 1867, where it was strictly a school for educating and preparing teachers. With detail and care, Lindberg utilizes the first half of the book to paint a picture for the reader that ecompasses the rich history and highlights the bold leaders that dedicate themselves to the importance and development of quality education. The second half of the book gives a comprehensive recounting of NEIU’s more modern history, starting with the groundbreaking of the campus building in 1960 and the opening in 1961 of Chicago Teacher’s College-North (eventually name-changed to be Northeastern Illinois University). From here, Lindberg explains the political, societal and economic factors that molded and shaped the school immensely over time. The university improved upon itself year after year and went through tireless trial and error in order to provide its students with educational excellency, its faculty with valued support and its community with growing opportunity. Lindberg does an impressive job with taking the reader step-by-step through all of the complex challenges and triumphs of the university, which eventually brought NEIU to become the multi-cultural institution of
higher learning that it is today. Overall, Lindberg has an intelligent writing-style that is also easy to understand. The book is about 275 pages long, and is chock full of information that he meticulously lays out for the reader. Thankfully, the book did not read too much like a tedious history textbook, but rather felt like a flowing telling of NEIU’s story. The book also contains photographs throughout that visually accompany the text in an intriguing and helpful way. For those who have a high interest and admiration for history, this would be an enjoyable read for you. I personally do not tend to enjoy reading nonfiction in my free-time or for fun, so I can not say that I had a particularly thrilling and entertaining time while reading this book. On the other hand, I certainly value the new information, insights and appreciation I gained from the book. Before reading it, I honestly had very little knowledge of NEIU’s history. Learning more about NEIU’s humble beginnings and all of the notable people and events that brought about continual evolution and improvement of the university really put things into better perspective for me. I finished the book feeling more appreciative for the opportunities and education I have now, which is all thanks to the hard-work and determination of the people from our past. As for understanding NEIU’s current situation, the book does give a pretty good explanation for how we got here. Since the book was published in 2017, the information ends at that point in the university’s story, but it does give the reader a better understanding of the beginnings of NEIU’s current financial woes. I’d like to note that the book is also clear in showing that NEIU has faced several hardships, mistakes, controversies, setbacks and times of economic despair in its past. This is
not the first time that the university’s future felt uncertain. Due to this fact though, the book actually left me feeling somewhat hopeful. NEIU has survived and persevered through multiple wars, times of extreme political and societal unrest and severe economic depressions. Even at times when hope felt lost, NEIU was able to overcome adversity and continue to grow. Perhaps (and hopefully) history will continue to repeat itself, and our university will be able to once again bounceback and improve in order to better serve students and faculty for generations to come. As a final note, if reading about the very early history of the university does not pique your interest, I’d recommend at least reading the second half of the book that focuses on its modern history. Regardless of if you read all of it or part of it, this book will certainly leave you feeling much more well-informed, appreciative and understanding of NEIU’s past and present.
Photo taken by Savannah Owens
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
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NEIU Student Wins Gold and Silver in Special Olympics By: Leslie Lozada, Campus Life Editor Pictures provided by Matthew Gorski
The Special Olympics in Illinois offers over 30,000 participants a chance to compete in 18 sports. One of the 13 state sports competitions offered each year, the 2023 Winter games, which are held in Galena, Illinois, had two championship-level competitions for alpine skiing and snowshoeing. One undergraduate student from NEIU, Matthew Gorski, took home the gold and the silver. Gorski, 22 years old, has been at NEIU for four years as a full-time student. Gorski has been involved with the Special Olympics for eight years. He joined the Amundsen Vikings Special Olympics team at Amundsen High School during his freshman year, with three other freshmen at the time, until he graduated. Snowshoeing and skiing were two of the sports that he participated in during his time there. To this day, he still talks to his former teammates, who he has grown close to during their time competing. “What led me to decide to get into sports is the internal drive that athletes show on the field when they’re competing or practicing to improve on the sports that they do,” Gorski said in an interview with the Independent. “Also, I’m the type of person that loves to be outside, active and not sitting inside all day.” Gorski won first place in the 400M Snowshoe race and second place in the 800M Snowshoe Race. For readers that don’t know much about snowshoeing as a sport, Gorski defines it as “like running a mile in really big spikes, but not on the sideway.” He decided to compete in this specific sport due to the scheduling conflict regarding the skiing qualifiers that were supposed to happen this year. During his time at NEIU, Gorski has been working towards getting a teaching license with the hopes of becoming a high
school history teacher. Gorski is already involved with the History Club, having been with the student club for over two years. Gorski still sees himself competing in future Special Olympics competitions. “The Special Olympics has changed my life in so many ways that have led me to do amazing things along the way. I would like to compete in the future so I can continue being active, strong, and healthy too.” Every year, NEIU hosts the Floor Hockey standalone event at the Physical Education Complex. The last one was on Nov. 19, 2022. Current students that are interested in participating in the Special Olympics can check out the athlete form on the Special Olympics Illinois website.
Sports
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Student Organizations Seeds
Student Media Board’s Literature and Artistic Journal Submit, check our latest edition! Meetings every other Friday @6:30 Insta: neiuseedsjournal
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Students “Young homeless woman who needs help getting back on her feet. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you” http://spot.fund/6wgv1sc
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
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CALL FOR ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS 16
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
Deadline: February 27th, 2023
My name is Savannah Owens and I am starting an art magazine here at NEIU for my Senior Exhibition. I’m looking for any artists and designers from any background or medium to be featured in my publication. The focus is on recognition of artists and designers in the Chicagoland area. All visual art submissions are welcome, as well as interviews (which can be submitted through email or done in person.) If interested either scan the QR code or send an email to snowens9@neiu.edu